Federal Way held its annual Buds and Blooms spring garden festival May 8-9, featuring the following six attractions:
Federal Way Senior Center Community Garden
The Federal Way Senior Center Community Garden, 4016 S. 352nd St., opened in 2009. The 10,000-square-foot garden is open to the public and helps supply the senior center’s food pantry.
Master gardener Mike Stanley is credited with the layout. Stanley and a handful of Federal Way leaders are working to establish a non-profit organization determined to sprinkle community gardens across the city.
“Our intent is to build these gardens all over Federal Way and for Federal Way to be known for these gardens,” Stanley said.
In April, he announced plans to construct Federal Way’s second community garden at Camelot Square mobile home park, 3001 S. 288th St. Stanley and other volunteers also hope to parent a third garden at Truman High School, 31455 28th Ave. S. The city’s first garden was established last year at the Federal Way Senior Center, 4016 S. 352nd St. The Camelot and Truman gardens would be designed by the non-profit and maintained by both the organization and volunteers.
West Hylebos Wetlands Park
The 120-acre West Hylebos Wetlands Park, located at 411 S. 348th St., is surrounded on all sides by sprawling city landscape.
The park is open from dawn to dusk every day. There are no parking or admission fees. The boardwalk is wheelchair accessible and a typical walk through the park takes approximately 90 minutes. Pets are not allowed and guests are asked to stay on designated paths. Tours of the park are self-guided.
PowellsWood Garden
PowellsWood is a three-acre private garden owned and operated Monte and Diane Powell.
Located at 430 South Dash Point Road, PowellsWood hosted several events during the Buds and Blooms festival May 8-9. Highlights include fuchsia baskets for sale (a Mother’s Day tradition), a bee keeping demonstration, watercolorist Sharon Freeman, traditional English tea (reservation required), storytelling for kids, a flower arranging demonstration and an appearance by Ciscoe Morris.
To learn more, call (253) 529‑1620 or visit www.powellswood.org
Federal Way Farmers Market
The Federal Way Farmers Market kicked off its seventh season May 8 at The Commons mall. The market operates from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. every Saturday in the Sears parking lot through Oct. 30. Fresh food, flowers and crafts will be abundant.
Click here to watch a slideshow from the market’s May 8 opening.
Pacific Rim Bonsai Collection
The Pacific Rim Bonsai Collection, which has been closed for more than a year, opened May 7-12 at the Weyerhaeuser campus in Federal Way. The plan is for the collection to someday be reopened for the public, De Groot said. However, that will be dependent on the economy. The garden’s initial closure stems from a need to reduce general and administrative expenses, according to Weyerhaeuser.
During the Buds and Blooms spring garden festival May 8-9, volunteers worked on trees while hundreds of visitors checked out the collection.
Rhododendron Species Botanical Garden
The Rhododendron Species Botanical Garden is among the best of its kind in the world. There are about 1,000 species of rhododendron in the world. Of the heartier versions, the Federal Way garden features about 550-600 species.
The 22-acre garden is located on the Weyerhaeuser campus, 2525 S. 336th St., Federal Way. The garden is open every day from 10 a.m to 4 p.m. (except Thursdays), March through September. From October through February, the garden is open 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. (closed on Thursdays and Fridays). The non-profit garden is not affiliated with Weyerhaeuser corporation.
Admission is $5 for adults, $3 for seniors and students, and free for children under 12. There is also free admission from November to February.
Visit www.rhodygarden.org or learn more.
PHOTO SLIDESHOW
Click here to view a slideshow from Buds and Blooms attractions.
